A Radiation Primer

1. A Radiation Primer radiation … radioactive material What are they? exposure … contamination Are they the same?

2. Radioactivity Spontaneous emission of radiation from the nucleus of an unstable isotope Disintegration Decay

3. Demonstrate Decontamination Any Volunteers?

5. Energy

6. Penetration Abilities Especially damaging to internal tissues if inhaled or swallowed Damaging to internal tissues if inhaled or swallowed and can cause external skin burns Damaging to tissues externally and internally

7. Common Radioactive Nuclides • Nuclear medicine: Iodine-131 • Radiotherapy: cobalt-60 • Satellite power: plutonium-238 • Nuclear power: uranium-235 • Our body: potassium-40 • Our water: radium-226

8. Unit prefixes from Tera (1012) to pico (10-12) Radiation Units • Amount of radioactivity • Curie (Ci), Becquerel (Bq) • Ambient radiation levels • Roentgen per hour (R/h, rem per hour (rem/h) • Radiation Dose • Rad, rem, Gray (Gy), Sievert (Sv)

9. What if you ingested 12 Bq (disintegrations per second)? 5500 Bq? The point is not to trivialize radioactivity, but to put it in perspective. Radioactive Contamination

10. Average Annual Radiation Exposures:6.2 mSv = 620 mrem Consumer products, occupational 2% Natural background 50% Medical 48% ? Source: NCRP Report No. 160, Ionizing Radiation Exposure of the Population of the United States (2009)

11. Typical Doses (mSv) Airport Screening 0.0001 NY to London by air 0.05 Chest X-Ray 0.1 Natural bkgd. (annual) 3 CT Scan -Abdomen 10 Occupational annual limit 50 50% survival (whole body) 4,000 Radiotherapy (tumor, partial) 80,000 1 mSv = 100 mrem

12. Radiation Protection • Time • Distance • Shielding • Evacuation • Sheltering • Medical countermeasures Guiding principle for controlling exposures: ALARA As Low As Reasonably Achievable

13. Review Fundamentals Difference between: – Radioactive material – Radiation Difference between being: – Contaminated – Irradiated (exposed) External & Internal

14. Summary: Key Points • Radiation types: alpha, beta, gamma • Radiation and radioactivity are part of our natural environment • Radioactive contamination is not immediately life threatening. • Decontamination is relatively simple. • Radiation can be readily detected.

15. Dose Units: Rem – in the U.S. Sievert (Sv) - rest of the world Radiation can: kill in short term cause cancer in long term, or have NO EFFECT It is all about dose! Summary: Key Points

16. Important Contact! Know the contact information for your state radiation control program. This office is vital in both planning for and responding to a nuclear or radiological incident. www.crcpd.org/Map/map.html

17. Radiological Terrorism: A Toolkit for Emergency Services Clinicians Resources for Clinicians • JIT Training • Pocket Guides • Radiation Triage Chart • Fact Sheets • Webcasts • Self-study Programs • Psychological First Aid in Radiation Disasters http://www.emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/

18. Radiological Terrorism: A Toolkit for Public Health Professionals Resources for Public Health • vCRC • Population Monitoring Guide • EPA Risk Communication Guide • Contaminated Decedents Guide • Radiation Survey DVD • Webcasts • Fact Sheets • Self-study Programs • Psychological First Aid in Radiation Disasters http://www.emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/

19. Questions? Armin Ansari 770-488-3654 AAnsari@cdc.gov